My heart stopped.
Snapping my head back to Terri, I asked, “What did you just say?”
“Uh … about Tucker having a business degree?”
I grabbed her and pulled her up. “We need to talk. Now!”
“Ah, okay. Ladies’ room?”
Shaking my head, I searched for Tucker. When I found him talking to some blonde, I dragged Terri behind me and made my way over to him.
“Be right back, Jim!” Terri called out over her shoulder.
Tucker ignored me when I stopped in front of him. “Excuse me, Tucker?” I asked politely.
The girl looked my way, but he didn’t. “Tucker. I need to ask you something.”
He turned his body slightly away from me and kept talking to the girl.
“Oh, look at you acting like a ten-year-old. Who’s in grade school now?” I spit out.
He whipped back around and pointed to me. “You drive me nuts! I swear if I could sew your fucking mouth shut, I would.”
I gasped and turned to the girl. “Did you hear what he just said to me?”
She shook her head. “I certainly did. Asshole.”
I couldn’t help but smile from ear to ear as we watched the pretty young thing stomp away.
“What in the hell is your problem, Charlie? Jealous that someone other than you was getting my attention?”
With a roll of my eyes, I responded. “Hardly. I need to use your office. It’s an emergency.”
He stared at me like I was nuts.
I sucked my lower lip in for a brief moment, then said, “It’s about my parents.”
Ugh. I didn’t want to use the my parents just died card, but I knew he was pissed at me and wouldn’t let me in his office if I didn’t. Plus, it was kind of true.
His eyes softened immediately and for a moment I saw something pass over his face. It was too quick for me to catch it before he went back to giving me a blank stare. The same one he had mastered so many years ago.
“Sure, no problem. It’s down the hall to the back, the passcode is the year we graduated college.”
I gave him a sweet grin and then dragged Terri down the hall with me. As I typed in the passcode, I shook my head. “He really needs to change this. Anyone can figure it out. He uses this as his passcode into his office and he thinks he can run a bar.”
I knew damn well Tucker would be great at running this place. My pride made me act like a bitch, but deep down I was so proud of him for following his dreams, not caving into his father’s demands, but doing what he wanted to do. I actually envied him, but I’d never let him know that.
“Will you please tell me what is going on?” Terri pleaded.
The door opened, and I pushed her in, causing her to stumble.
“Oh my God, Charlie! What has gotten into you?”
My eyes scanned the room. I swore I heard angels sing when I saw it.
Rushing around his desk, I grabbed the degree off the wall. “There it is!”
Flipping it over, I showed it to Terri, who pinched her thumb and finger between her eyes and asked, “What are you doing?”
Ignoring her question, I placed the frame on the desk and started to take off the back.
“Oh my God! What are you doing? You can’t take that, Charlie! What is wrong with you?”
I stopped what I was doing. Shit. She’s right. I can’t just show the board a degree. I have to show them a relationship. A real relationship.
Jesus. I was losing my mind. I think between losing my parents, The Twilight Zone board meeting, and now running into Tucker in his bar had finally caught up with me. I was honestly feeling as though I was going crazy.
Dropping into Tucker’s chair, I turned the degree over and stared at it.
Could I do this? Could I honestly do this?
The idea of being married to a man for a year made my stomach sick. But being married to Tucker? That might work. As much as I couldn’t stand being near him, I longed to be near him. He was the reason no other guy was worth the effort. Tucker was and always would be the only guy I’ve ever felt this way about.
Wait. That totally sounds insane.
“Holy shit. I have no choice,” I mumbled as I buried my face in my hands.
“Okay, I’m really starting to get worried about you, Charlie. I think you’re stressed. Really stressed, sweetie. Maybe we should go home. Have you thought about talking to someone? It’s a lot to handle, with your folks and all.”
I dropped my hands onto Tucker’s desk and looked at her. My entire body sagged as I let out a moan that would make even Mr. Pootie proud. “I don’t want to talk to anybody about my folks.” Maybe that wasn’t such a bad idea though.
Closing my eyes, I dragged in a deep breath. One thing at a time. “I have to get married, and I only have three months to do it. Correction. Three months and some change.”
Note to self: Put a countdown clock on my phone for Doom’s Day.
She sat in the chair opposite the desk. “Okay, I’ll bite. Why do you have to get married, and why in three months? Holy fuck, you’re pregnant, aren’t you? And the baby is due in three months and you need a baby daddy?”
“Terri, be serious, this is heavy-duty shit I’m talking about here. I found out today that my dear old granddaddy had a bylaw written into the articles of incorporation that said in the event something would happen to my father before I turned forty, in order for me to take over the company, I had to be married. And not just married to any random guy, but to someone who held a business degree. I have to stay married for at least a year, it can’t be arranged, and I have to be able to prove to the board that the marriage is real.”
She stared at me. Then her mouth fell open.
“No. No. No.” She stood and started to pace.
“I know! It’s fucked up in a huge way.”
Shaking her head, she faced me. “No, what I’m saying no to is I know what that mind of yours is thinking. You’re thinking Tucker is the guy.”
“Yes! It’s perfect. We’ve known each other for years so it would make sense. We start dating, we fall in love, and bam. I can sell it to the board as two lovers who rekindled an old college flame. We get married. It’s perfect. I just need to figure out how to seduce Tucker and make him fall in love with me enough to marry me. In three months and three weeks.”
My best friend stared at me, her mouth gaped open.
“Please tell me you’re not being serious.”
“I am! I don’t know what else to do!”
“So you’re going to lie to Tucker and pretend you’re falling in love with him?”
I gave a small shrug. I had to force myself not to say I really was in love with him, as that made me sound even more pathetic than I really was.
Good Lord, who was I kidding? I was the queen of pathetic.
“Yes. I mean, we all know I like Tucker.”
“How can they even do that? Force you to marry? Charlie, you went to law school, is that even legal?”
I chewed on my lip. “I can have the board vote on it, but there are a few old codgers on there who I’m pretty sure want me gone. I’m the twenty-eight-year-old daughter of the former CEO who is only in this position because she’s the heir apparent. The lawyer said if I fight it, it could be months. I don’t have months. I just need to get married, then work on getting this stupid thing to go away.”
“This just all seems so far-fetched. I mean, you’re being forced to get married.”
“I know. I sat with the stupid lawyer nearly all day trying to find a loophole. I’ve got nothing. But if I can get Tucker to marry me, I can buy myself more time.”
She turned away from me. “Charlie, this is the most insane thing I think you’ve ever done. Maybe you need to go and talk to someone. Maybe you misunderstood things, with your parents’ deaths it might be—”
I held up my hand, forcing her to stop talking. My eyes teared up, and I could feel the breakdown coming. You know, the one I had been putting off for t
he last week.
The door to Tucker’s office opened. When I looked at him and saw the immediate concern in his eyes, the floodgates broke free. I stared at him, and I broke down and started to cry.
But in that moment, I wasn’t sure if I was crying for the loss of my parents or the loss of Tucker.
CHARLIE DROVE ME crazy. I wanted so badly to hate her, but every time she walked that sweet ass by me, I was transported back seven years ago. The memory of her wrapped in my arms as we swung in the hammock was one of my favorites. And the one I had jerked off to in the shower more times than I could count.
Little did I know she was going to freak out on me and leave me a fucking note saying to forget the entire weekend happened. Nash tried to warn me about Charlie. Everyone knew she put her father above everything. Her only goal in life was making her father happy. Screw her own happiness. She’d given up so many dreams for him. I wondered if he knew how much his daughter had given up.
I sighed and dropped my head back, then rolled it around to ease the stress. I’d never be able to forget the most incredible seventy-two hours of my life. Or the way she fell apart over and over while whispering my name. I wondered if she had remembered telling me she was in love with me. She had been drunk, but her confession nearly knocked me on my goddamn ass. Her leaving that fucking note proved she was lying about what that weekend meant, and it caused me to see blood red. I knew she was lying, and she knew it too.
The memory hit me right in the chest.
CHARLIE GIGGLED AS I carried her up the back steps. She’d had one too many drinks and was currently teasing me that she had a secret.
I laid her on my bed and pulled my T-shirt over my head. “What’s your secret, Pumpkin?”
Her eyes lit up and tears filled those beautiful blue eyes.
“I love you,” she softly said.
Every ounce of air felt like it was pulled not only from my lungs, but from the room as well.
She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I think I loved you the first moment you smiled at me. How stupid am I?”
I had planned on sleeping out on the sofa, but when the girl you’ve secretly loved for the last few years tells you she loves you … well, you have no choice but to make love to her.
“Please tell me you’re not too drunk to know what you’re saying, princess.”
Charlie chewed on her lip, her eyes turning dark. “I’m not too drunk.”
I smiled as I crawled over her body, pressed my lips to hers, and gave my heart to her. Forever.
“TUCKER? TUCKER?”
Snapping out of my memory, I smiled at Pam. One of my managers.
“Yeah, sorry. What did you need?”
She looked me over and smiled bigger. “Do you have the number to Pine Brewery? I think we’re going to want to order more of their American Amber Ale. It’s been one of our biggest sellers.”
“That’s awesome,” I replied. I knew that one was going to go over well with this crowd. Craft beer was my thing; I had a passion for it. My father still didn’t get my desire for what I did. He nearly stroked out when I told him I was opening my own bar. His only response was that at least my degree would get put to use.
“It sure is. Want me to go to your office and get it?”
“Actually, Pam, I let two of my college buddies use my office. With Charlie’s parents dying …”
Pam gasped. “Oh, your poor friend. I hope he’s going to be okay. How sad.”
With a nod, I replied, “Charlie is a girl.”
She frowned. “A girl? Her name is Charlie?” When she snarled her lip, I got defensive.
“It’s short for Charleston.”
Then she made a face. “That poor girl. What a dreadful name.”
Opening my mouth to argue with her, I quickly shut it. It wasn’t worth it, and why I felt the need to defend Charlie was beyond me. I’d always done it, though. Anytime anyone said anything bad about her, I stood up for her. Even though down to her very soul, she was a cold-hearted bitch.
That was a lie.
Charlie was far from being a bitch, even though she tried to play the part of one. She didn’t know any of us knew about how she volunteered at the battered women’s shelter once a week. Or the pet shelter on Town Lake every Saturday morning. I’d seen her at a cancer fundraiser last year, and I overheard her asking to keep her donation anonymous. It was later I found out she had donated $300,000.
Charleston Monroe didn’t have a bad bone in her body. She was perfect. Beautiful. Smart. Sexy.
Jesus, Middleton. Snap out of it.
I didn’t have time to think about Charlie.
“I’ll go grab the number while I’m thinking about it. We’ll call them first thing Monday morning.”
Pam grinned. “Back to work! It’s super crazy busy in here. I’ll make the rounds.”
I placed my hand on her arm and gave it a friendly squeeze. “Thanks, Pam.”
Her eyes lit up. “Any time, Tucker.”
Turning, I headed to my office. Hopefully everything was okay with Charlie. I hated how she was going through this alone. But then again, she wanted it that way. She’d always wanted to fly solo, so why should I be concerned?
When I opened the door to my office, I froze. Charlie sat in the chair at my desk and looked as if she was about to cry. She appeared so defeated. She opened her mouth to say something, and my entire world stopped when I saw the tears streaming down her face.
I should have gone to her. Pulled her into my arms to comfort her. But I didn’t. I stood there like an asshole as she buried her face in her hands while her sobs filled my office. The words in the letter she wrote me flashed before my eyes.
“It was a mistake. We need to forget this weekend ever happened. There could never be anything between us.”
“Charlie!” Terri blurted out as she ran around the desk.
Pulling her up, Terri wrapped her arms around Charlie. I’d never in all the years I’d known Charleston Monroe seen her cry.
Not once.
She was the strongest woman I’d ever met. Even at her parents’ funeral she didn’t cry. I had snuck in at the last minute and sat off to the side where I knew she wouldn’t see me, but I could see her. I watched Charlie like a hawk, ready to rush in if she needed someone. Why in the hell I thought she would want me was beyond me. Wishful thinking, maybe? Her chin had quivered so many times it actually made my own eyes water. When it was time for them to close the caskets, she stood, walked up to her parents’ caskets and took in a slow, steady breath. She said something to her father, then turned to her mother and smiled. It was the saddest smile I’d ever seen in my entire life.
As soon as Charlie’s crying had started in my office, though, it stopped. “I’m okay. I’m fine.”
It was that quickly she pulled herself together. There was the all-business Charlie I knew. God forbid anyone see the other side of her. The side I knew she had buried deep down.
I walked into the room and headed to the file cabinet. “I’m sorry to interrupt. I needed a number.”
Our eyes met, and I fought to keep the tightness down in my chest. Charlie was hurting, and I just ignored it. Just dismissed her feelings as though she’d dismissed mine all those years ago. I was a prick, and I knew it. She wiped her tears away and shot me a dirty look. So maybe the cold-hearted act I was playing was a bit much. After all, she suffered a major loss only a week ago.
“Of course you’d walk in now, wouldn’t you? Go ahead, M-Middleton. Make a smart-ass comment about how I broke down. How karma is a bitch and so am I, because I know you want to go there with me.”
Stopping, I slowly shook my head. “It’s okay to cry, Charlie.”
Her teeth sank into her lip as her chin trembled. “No, it’s not.” Her head dropped and her fucking chin started to quiver. “It’s not ever okay.”
Her last words were barely a whisper.
God, who told her she couldn’t show emotion?
She started toward
the door and tripped. Jesus, those fuck-me shoes she wore were going to be the death of her and me. I’d never in my life saw anyone stumble like she did.
Terri caught her as Charlie yelled out, “Son of a fucking bitch!”
“Do you kiss people with that mouth?” I blurted. I wasn’t sure why I was acting like a dick. I guess it was just something we did to each other.
“Fuck you, asshole.”
“Been there, done that, Charlie, remember? Oh wait, that’s right. You wanted to forget it ever happened. My bad.”
Terri stopped walking. “I’ll be right out.”
With a wave of her hand, Charlie retreated through the door and never looked back.
Terri walked up to me and threw her hands on her hips. “What in the hell is wrong with you? Her parents died, Tucker. Have you ever seen her cry before? Hell, I’ve known her since I was eighteen, and I’ve never even seen her cry during a sad movie. She didn’t even cry at her folks’ funeral.”
Turning back to the files, I found the one for Pine Brewery. Slamming the file cabinet door, I took in a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have kicked her when she was down.”
Her brows pinched together. “That’s it?”
“What do you mean?”
She shook her head. “That’s all you’re going to say for treating her like that, knowing what she has gone through? What is wrong with you two? Clearly you both still have feelings for each other and won’t admit it, so instead you attack one another.”
I threw my head back and laughed. “Yeah. Right.” I pointed the file toward the door and said, “Charlie Monroe has no heart. The only thing she cares about is her job. That’s all she’s ever cared about. That and living up to her father’s expectations. I feel terrible her parents are gone. I honestly do, but that changes nothing between us. She made her feelings for me very clear seven years ago.”
Terri threw her hands up and let out a frustrated groan. “Whatever! Believe what you want to believe, Middleton. I’m done trying with both of you.”
She headed toward my door but stopped and faced me again. “But just so you know, Charlie admitted to Lily that she loved you only weeks after that weekend y’all spent together. All those times she tried calling you, to explain.”
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